


You Don't Have To Be

by aliviachan



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Friends With Benefits, McCall Pack, Pack Politics, Sex Pollen, The Hale Pack - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 22:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13351032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliviachan/pseuds/aliviachan
Summary: “I think we should call—” Derek reached to take the vial from Stiles, but as his fingers came in contact with the glass it shattered, causing the powder to swirl around them with a luminous glow.Heldrif shrunk back to normal size as he flapped his wings in an attempt to get rid of the powder. When it all appeared to vanish, the dragon stopped its flapping as he watched Derek and Stiles with glowing orange eyes and hunched scales.“D-derek… what the hell is going on!?” Stiles rasped out as he yanked at the front of Derek’s shirt with shaky hands, “Your eyes, dude!”Or, the one where sex pollen ruins peoples lives, Laura worries, Boyd is a good bro, and the Sheriff has to wonder how he ended up raising an idiot. And everyone would just greatly appreciate it if Derek and Stiles could get their lives together.





	You Don't Have To Be

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](https://aliviachan.tumblr.com)   
> 

“Dude!”

 

Derek jumped as Stiles clapped both of his hands on his arm. Stiles raised his eyebrows at Derek’s unexpected reaction but, thankfully, didn’t pay too much attention to it as he continued with what he was about to say.

 

“Scott’s planning on adding a rookie mage to the pack. He wants me to train them, but I don’t know if i’m up for it, ya know?” Stiles said as his brows slowly pinched together, “I mean… sure I get why he wants me to do it, but what if I  mess up or something? I know i’ve gained control of my powers and everything, but that doesn't mean I still couldn't accidently blow someone's head off!”

 

“You won’t blow anyone's head off,” Derek grumbled as he flagged down the bartender to get them another round of shots.

 

“You don’t know that!” Stiles flailed as his tone reached maximum whinage. “This is all Deaton’s fault! If he would’ve stayed in the state just a few months longer, he would be training them instead of me.”

 

The bartender slid them another round of shots with an apprehensive look, probably debating if he should cut them off or not. Derek offered a soft grunt and shoved another five bucks into the tip-jar for good measure. The bartender held Derek’s stare for a few more seconds before shrugging and going to help another customer. Once the guy was out of hearing range, Derek turned back to Stiles who still had a death grip on his arm.

 

“At least you don’t have to sign a peace treaty with the pixie queen,” Derek countered, and had to suppress his feeling of pride as Stiles’ eyes widened in awe. “Cora had trampled through their village during her run, thus starting a war between us and the fae.”

 

“Oh my god!” Stiles wheezed out, his hands slipping off of Derek, with tears threatening to fill his eyes, “That’s fucking hilarious! Pixies are prickly little bastards, did they try destroying the house with plants yet?”

 

“Twice...in one day.”

 

Stiles tipped his head back and let out a full-belly laugh, causing the whole bar to look in their direction.  

 

The bartender glanced warily between them.

 

Derek hid his smile behind a shot glass as he knocked one back. He got distracted by the slight bob of Stiles’ adam’s apple as he chuckled, and couldn't really take his eyes off of him even when Stiles decided to calm down. Stiles’ laugh was easily Derek’s favorite sound; loud and contagious. It sent tremors to his heart every time he heard it, luckily, Derek was all too used to that feeling by now.

 

“We should finish these and then I should get you home,” Derek said as he quickly chugged two of the three shots left before Stiles could get to them. Tipsy Stiles he could deal with. Drunk Stiles was a completely different story.  

 

“Hey! Those weren't even wolfsbane laced! Those were mine, Hale!” Stiles quickly snatched up the last one and drank it too quickly, causing the idiot to have a coughing fit.

 

“I’ll get you another round next time.”

 

“But I wanted it nooow,” Stiles pouted as Derek pulled him out the stool and helped him slip into his jacket. “Stop being nice to me. I’m trying to be angry with you.”

 

Derek snorted softly as he lightly nudged Stiles towards the exit. Stiles put up a half assed fight as he leaned against Derek’s chest to unsuccessfully push him back towards the bar. When the young mage realized his attempts were in vain, he sighed — _dramatically may Derek add_ — and simply went limp in Derek’s hold.

 

“You’re no fun,” Stiles grumbled.

 

“You’ll thank me in the morning.”

 

“Doubt it, Sourwolf,”

 

Derek couldn’t help but chuckle fondly at the other’s remark. They’d both planned on getting drinks that night. Luckily for them, there was a bar located only a few blocks away from Stiles’ apartment. So they had just walked there. Derek always loved strolling with Stiles anyway.

 

“Think you can zap us back to your place? I don’t think you’re sober enough to be on my back while I run full shift.” Derek said, securing his arm around Stiles’ waist to make sure he didn’t trip on his legs and fall.

 

“Using magic under the influence is naughty, Derek.”

 

“Shut up and do it already.” He said as he let go of Stiles to let him do his thing.

 

Unsurprisingly, Derek’s remark caused a fond smile to pull across Stiles’ face as he stepped closer. “Anyone around us?”

 

“Nope,” Derek said just as he began to smell the subtle scent like that of burning incense and feel Stiles’ magic surrounding them.

 

He watched as Stiles closed his eyes to concentrate and had to restrain himself from touching him again. Stiles was just so… _close_! Derek could practically feel the body heat radiating off of him. Clenching his fists at his sides, Derek quickly found a distraction in counting Stiles’ eyelashes, and then restarting every time Stiles’ eyes twitched. In a matter of seconds, a blue light surrounded them transporting them to Stiles’ living room, where they not so gracefully toppled onto the floor. They were a mess of limbs as Stiles groaned at the heavyweight sprawled across his stomach. Derek lifted himself up quickly and checked to make sure Stiles wasn’t injured anywhere.

 

“Teleportation and intoxication don’t mix well,” Stiles’ head was spinning as he rolled over and got up on his feet, “I need to pee. Why don’t you order some pizza, and we can watch Criminal Minds until we pass out.”

 

Derek felt a soft brush against his leg that was followed by a soft hissing noise. Peeling his eyes away from Stiles’ retreating figure, Derek smiled softly at Stiles’ familiar, Heldrif. The little dragon wrapped its tail around Derek’s calf before releasing it and leisurely walking over to its nest, an assortment of fluffy cushions and sheets. However, Heldrif hadn’t been fond of the pillowy heaven when Stiles first brought him home after they imprinted. So he had used his spark to put an enchantment on the nest so that every time Heldrif stepped over it, the pillows and sheets would turn into a soft, immaculate pile of leaves and twigs and thick swirly branches, something that resembled what Heldrif had been used to, what he had grown up with, so that he wouldn’t feel homesick.  

 

“You know, for a person who hates dealing with criminals on the supernatural spectrum, you sure have a fascination with watching crime dramas,” Derek said as he tossed his jacket on the couch before opening Netflix and ordering their usual.

 

“A sense of humor? When did you develop one of those, Hale?” Stiles called out,  followed by the sound of a faucet turning on.

 

The pizza arrived and Stiles ate nearly all of it within the first half of the episode. They’d debated throughout the whole episode on who the real killer was and what his reasonings were. At one point, Stiles flailed his arms so hard when the real killer appeared on the screen that Derek’s werewolf reflexes were the only thing stopping him from getting slapped in the face with a slice of pizza.

 

“I think I’m going to do it,” Stiles suddenly said.

 

“What?”

 

“Train the rookie… maybe it’ll help me decide what I want to do about joining a pack.”

 

Derek turned to face Stiles then. For the past three years, Stiles had been torn about whether he wanted to join a pack or not. Derek thought it had something to do with the fact that Stiles felt a sort of loyalty — _even if he didn’t want to admit it_ — to Deaton, thus making him feel the need to be a part of the Hale pack. However, Stiles also had his loyalty to Scott, his best friend since even before werewolves and mages turned out to be more than just a figment of their imagination.

 

No one is rushing Stiles’ decision, but knowing Stiles, Derek can tell that the whole picking a pack thing is bothering him.  

 

“Whatever you decide… it won't change anything. You know that right?” Derek racked his brain for things to say to assure Stiles he’d be fine with Stiles choosing Scott instead of him, but came up with, well….nothing.

 

Stiles sighed as he plopped his head on Derek’s shoulder, “I know, dude. That’s not...I mean it is what I’m worried about, but not as much as the other thing that I’m worried about. Which is something that I really don’t want to talk about, especially whilst drunk, and—”

 

“Stiles.”

 

Letting out another sigh, Stiles gave Derek a thankful smile as he grabbed the last slice of pizza, “Thanks—”

 

The brittle sound of glass breaking caused both of them to become alert. Derek could feel the pull of Stiles’ magic as Stiles put up his wards. From his nest, Heldrif surrounded himself in an emerald light as he grew to nearly his full form in the space of Stiles’ apartment. What came next was something Derek most definitely wasn’t prepared for.

 

A tiny glass tube rolled in front of them, and Derek glowered at it as if it was the cause of everything bad in the world. Derek could smell something extremely strange about the neon purple powder, even when trapped inside of the tube. Wrapped around the vial was a slip of paper.

 

“Stiles don’t—”

 

Before Derek could even finish his sentence, Stiles was already picking the vial up and reading the slip.

 

“ _‘Dear Alpha Hale. Your sister has made amends with us, and in light of current events we have reflected on how hateful we’ve been acting towards you and your pack during our quarrel. As a peace offering, here is something for you that will help you build your pack. Sincerely, the Fae Queen.’_ ” Stiles read with a confused frown, “What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“I think we should call—” Derek reached to take the vial from Stiles, but as his fingers came in contact with the glass it shattered, causing the powder to swirl around them with a luminous glow.  

 

Heldrif shrunk back to normal size as he flapped his wings in an attempt to get rid of the powder. When it all appeared to vanish, the dragon stopped its flapping as he watched Derek and Stiles with glowing orange eyes and hunched scales.

 

Derek tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. One second he was reaching for something and the next he had his arms filled with a panting, wide eyed Stiles. It took a few seconds before Derek could detect the scent of their combined arousal and feel the essence of magic that didn’t belong to Stiles fill the room. Stiles’ hands were everywhere and it did nothing to help clear Derek’s foggy brain. Derek felt his claws extending and retracting every so often as his hands rubbed over Stiles hips and lower back.  

 

“D-derek… what the hell is going on!?” Stiles rasped out as he yanked at the front of Derek’s shirt with shaky hands, “Your eyes, dude!”

 

Derek blinked owlishly as his eyes flickered between human green and alpha red. He could feel his own control slipping out of reach as soft whines and growls slipped out his mouth. “Stiles you gotta… get away before… before…” his own words became a white noise as Stiles’ scent consumed his senses. He found himself pressing his nose against Stiles neck and inhaling deeply. His mouth joined the party as he sucked and nibbled against Stiles’ pulse point.

 

“W-w-what are we doi—… oh, fuck it.”

 

The kiss started off sloppy and uncoordinated as they came colliding against one another. Stiles whined as his hands raked up the front of Derek’s shirt in an attempt to remove it, and only succeeded when Derek ripped the fabric off, Derek not wanting to move an inch away from Stiles for even a second. Derek tilted his head, and like the pieces of a puzzle, their lips slotted together perfectly.

 

It was almost embarrassing how quickly Derek got hard.

 

With fog-addled minds, and their judgement clouded by the haze of unprecedented arousal, they both fell onto the couch causing the empty box of pizza to tumble to the floor. Derek felt a surge of pride in the way Stiles shivered when he smoothed a thumb over his hip bone. Laying an open mouthed kiss over the slightly exposed skin, Derek relished in the sound Stiles made as he arched beneath him.

 

“Off... _dammit_ off, off off _off_ ,” Stiles whined as he now pulled at his own pants.

 

As Stiles’ hands left his body, Derek finally noticed the delicious flush of red blooming on Stiles’ face down to his neck. He admired the trail of color and wondered if the blush continued even further down. However, Derek was broken out of his stupor when Stiles nearly kicked him in the groin as he flailed out of his jeans. Stiles made up for it by pulling Derek back on top of him sensually and wrapping his long legs around Derek’s waist as the werewolf settled between them. It was so unbelievably hot that had Derek not been on his knees already, he’s sure he would have toppled over by now.

 

“Der’k. De—”

 

Derek popped a claw out and tore a line down the middle of Stiles’ shirt to finally remove it. When the mage was left in nothing but his boxers, Derek was left in awe as he stared lustfully at pale skin dotted with a constellation of beauty marks that he wanted to trace with his entire being. Stiles’ hands tangled in his hair and tugged almost unbearably as Derek slid down and sucked desperately at a nipple. Stiles tasted of willowy herbs and sunshine and blueberries, an intoxicating punch to his senses. It was already, undoubtedly, becoming Derek’s favorite flavor. Derek sucked until the skin was flushed and sensitive, and Stiles was left gasping frantically by the time Derek tore his mouth away.  

 

Derek was left awestruck at the sight. Using the momentary lull of action to his advantage, Stiles pushed Derek backwards until he was the one laying down. Scrambling to his knees, he unfastened Derek’s belt and sighed eagerly when Derek helpfully shimmied out of his jeans. Derek barely got his cock out and pushed his boxer briefs down when Stiles dove right in and took the tip into his mouth. He gave the head teasing little kitten-licks, tasting the salty pearls of precum dripping out. And when he hollowed his cheeks, wrapping his plump, rosy lips around the head, he made for a sight unlike anything Derek had ever seen before. Derek reached out, making sure not to use his claws, and slid his hand through Stiles’ soft, unruly hair. Derek cursed, breaths coming in harsh, ragged pants as Stiles started to bob his head up and down, taking him inch by inch into that wet, warm, sinful heat. Just when Derek thought it couldn’t get better, Stiles stopped and looked up at him, beautiful amber eyes locked onto his expectantly.

 

Derek just about came then and there.

 

Stiles’ eyes fluttered shut as Derek begun to rock into his mouth. Derek’s breath caught in his throat at the way his dick disappeared past Stiles’ full lips. Derek couldn’t find it in himself to hold back; he groaned and gasped, inciting a responding moan from Stiles. When Stiles came up for air with a lewd _pop_ , Derek’s fingers curled tighter in Stiles’ hair as he lapped at the pre-come dripping copiously from the tip.

 

Tugging Stiles up for another kiss, Derek moaned at the taste of their combined everything. “You’re so beautiful,” Derek purred, pulling down Stiles’ boxers and tossing them next to the rest of their clothing. Pressing his fingers to Stiles’ mouth, he watched with eyes bleeding crimson red, as Stiles eagerly sucked and licked the digits, coating them with saliva, all while keeping his hooded eyes locked on Derek’s lust blown ones. When he took his fingers out of Stiles’ mouth, the mage eagerly crawled up the couch and straddled Derek’s lap.

 

“Please...please please, need it,” Stiles whined, rocking his hips down on Derek’s dick and gasping when the tip caught the rim of his clenching hole.

 

Derek reached his hand around Stiles’ back, his lips finding Stiles’ again, and kneaded his perky ass, brushing his fingers between his cheeks. Stiles moaned at the touch and Derek couldn’t help himself from preening at the fact that he’s the reason behind that sound. And when he finally pushed the first digit inside that inviting cavern of heat, Stiles made the most beautiful keening sound, arching his back. Stiles was very vocal. It was almost as if he didn't know how to control himself in anyway. He was all loud moans and soft whimpers, and by the time Derek was three fingers deep, the desperation was killing the both of them. Stiles whined pitifully and reached behind himself with trembling hands to pull Derek’s fingers out and quickly lined Derek’s dick with his hole. When he pushed down on Derek’s leaking dick, it was heaven.

 

Everything felt too good; the burning heat between them, his dick sliding into Stiles, having Stiles give himself over to Derek as he stretched around his cock. It was all too much and yet, not enough. Stiles started grinding and slowly bouncing on his cock, setting a steady pace as he eagerly chased both of their orgasms. Derek couldn’t help but pull Stiles down to give him a deep, fierce kiss that conveyed more than words ever could. He made his way down his jaw, licking and sucking, marking the lean, pale curve of Stiles’ neck.

 

Stiles made a soft mewling sound and all but collapsed on Derek’s chest allowing the alpha to fuck up into him. Stiles turned his head so his mouth was pressed against Derek’s stubbled jaw. Panting softly he stretched his neck up so he could nibble shamelessly at Derek’s earlobe.

 

“You gotta—you’re gonna come for me. Right Der…? Come inside me...” Stiles said. “ _Please_? Need it Der. Need it, need you…” Stiles’ words were slurred as he clenched around Derek.  

 

Derek felt hot and overwhelmed. All he could think was ‘ _mate, mate, mate’._ Like a prayer inside his head, the only word being mine, mine.. _mine_ as he relentlessly snapped his hips upwards, pounding into Stiles with gusto. His hands gripped tightly around Stiles’ waist as his rhythm became sporadic. Stiles moaned, high pitched and desperate, and then clenched down hard on Derek’s gradually swelling knot with the force of his orgasm. And that’s all it took. Derek howled as the most intense, most incredible orgasm shook him to the very core.

 

After the initial shock of his release, Derek promptly blacked out.

 

——

 

When he came to, it was with Stiles asleep on his chest and come spalttered between them. Having a brief moment of panic, Derek found himself helplessly tensing underneath Stiles, and nearly had a heart attack when he felt that he was still inside of him. Rolling his hips slightly, Derek let out a sigh of relief when he realized that they weren't knotted together still.

 

Carefully, he lifted Stiles off of him. Slowly pulling his now limp dick out of the sleeping mage, Derek found himself entranced at the feeling of his come dripping out of Stiles’ ass. Letting out a strained breath, Derek felt like he had never been more thankful than at that moment that Stiles was a heavy sleeper.

 

Derek got them off the couch and quickly and carefully carried Stiles down the hall to his room. Gently depositing him on the bed, Derek ran his hands through his own hair, tugging at the strands as he nervously paced the expanse of the room. Getting his shit together, Derek rushed to the bathroom and came back with a wet towel to clean Stiles up. Once he was clean enough, Derek carefully dressed him as best as he could before tucking him under the covers.

 

What the hell did he do? What was in that damn bottle that would make him… make him— shit, he took advantage of Stiles! Feeling his heart stop and his throat dry up, Derek quickly ran down the hall to pull his pants on. His shirt was ripped along with pretty much all of Stiles’ clothing. Covering his face with his hands, Derek grunted in shame. How could he have _done_ this? It’d been more than three years of his pathetic pining and not once had he ever slipped. Sure, pretty much everyone else was aware of his feelings towards the oblivious idiot, but that hadn’t mattered. But now.... now things just got ten times more complicated.

 

If what happened was a complete fault of that cursed fae pollen, and Stiles would have never even thought about doing it otherwise, then Derek was pretty sure Stiles would rightfully never want to see him ever again. However, if by some miracle it was consensual to at least some extent on Stiles’ part, Derek had single handedly made the choice between his pack and Scott’s pack even harder on Stiles. He’d never wanted to come between them, never would, or to have Stiles choose sides between them, which was one of the reasons why Derek hadn’t once acted on his feelings.

 

From his nest, Heldrif gave Derek an unimpressed look as his tail flicked back and forth.

 

Grabbing his jacket, that smelled intensely of sex, and _them_ , Derek quickly ran out.

 

+

 

“How long do you think he’s going to stay like that?” Cora asked from the kitchen counter as her and Laura munched on chips.

 

“Are you talking about him being ‘gloomy and depressing’, or him being ‘grumpy and slightly annoying’? Because he’s been both for a total of 28 years now.” Laura said with a sigh.

 

“Which one do you think he’s being now?” Cora chewed her dorito obnoxiously loud.

 

“ _He’s_ right here you know,” Derek grumbled as he glared at them both.

 

“Grumpy and slightly annoying for the win!” his youngest sister cheered, causing chips to spill on the floor.

 

Everything was terrible. Derek had been on edge and angry with himself for the past two days because of what had happened between him and Stiles. Neither of them had tried to call the other, and Derek was starting to feel like he’d never see Stiles’ face ever again. And because of that he’d been sulking and wallowing around the house, and only going outside when he absolutely had to. He hadn’t told anyone the reason for his sudden change in attitude, but he’s sure everyone was bound to figure it out when everyone started to notice Stiles’ absence at the house.

 

“We’ll I’m going out, Erica promised me a manicure _and_ a massage! See you losers later,” Cora said with a sweet smile as she sauntered out the room.

 

His sisters could be real jerks.

 

“So are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you?” Laura asked as she moved from the kitchen counter to slide into the chair across Derek. “I haven’t seen you this upset since little Olly broke the keychain Stiles bought you.”

 

Hearing his name alone caused goosebumps to rise and his whole body to tense. Averting his eyes, Derek glared at the table as he was reminded of his mistake.

 

“Oh… this _is_ about Stiles, isn’t it?” Laura said while wiggling her eyebrows, “Tell me what happened? Trouble in paradise? Did he find someone cooler than you? I’m sure he must have gotten bored of the one sided conver—”

 

“We had sex,” he blurted out, hopefully not loud enough for the whole house to hear.  

 

“Oh… well...isn’t that a good thing? You’ve been pining for nearly four years.”

 

“I ran away...while he was sleeping. Because we were under the influence of some sort of sex pollen the fae queen left.”

 

“Oh, shit.”

 

“...Yeah.”

 

They were silent for a while. Derek sulking as his insides began to feel cold, the thought that he hurt Stiles was the worst feeling he could ever imagine. Derek sighed, trying to sort through his feelings and turn them into words. “I fucked up real bad Laur…”

 

All joking now pushed to the side, Derek could see that Laura was taking the situation very seriously. Her eyes were determined as she took her time to think, and at times like this, Derek wondered why he was chosen to be the alpha instead of her.

 

“You said ‘we were’ so it probably wasn’t just a one sided thing. If we take your logic, then that would mean Stiles would be in the same boat as you are,” Laura said gripping his hand. “The only person who took someone's choice away in this situation is the fae queen.”

 

“What? So you think I should just act like nothing happened then? Like I...like I didn’t take advantage of—”

 

“I think you need to stop sitting around hating yourself and actually go talk to him. For all we know Stiles could be thinking the same thing, or even worse, considering you just left him after _using him_ for sex.” Laura got up then, and ruffled his hair before exiting the room.  

Derek hated when Laura was right.

 

+

 

Derek had heard the music before he even saw the club. Which by werewolf standards, wasn't really anything, but it still didn't change the fact that the place was really fucking loud. He took a deep breath, bracing himself before he pushed into the club. He had gotten a text from Boyd that everyone would be out tonight, meaning Stiles would be there. Derek knew that the club wasn’t really a great place to talk, but currently it was the only option where he could easily bail if he needed to.

 

God he was such a coward.

 

Derek’s nose twitched with the overload of scents. Forcing his way through the crowd Derek relaxed a bit when he saw his friends huddled up at two adjoined tables in a nice secluded corner. When he got close enough, Boyd reached out pulled the alpha in a nice bro hug. Boyd’s smile was easy and far from stoic, letting Derek know that his friend was one hundred percent drunk.

 

“Who has the wolfsbane?” Derek asked with raised eyebrows. He wasn’t at all surprised when both Isaac and Erica raised their hands unashamed.

 

“Yo, Der, why are Lyds and Stiles mad at you?” Scott slurred from where he was cuddled against Allison. “I tried to find out but they just told me it was nothing. Their heartbeats skipped though, so they were lying right?”

 

Derek felt his smile fall as he looked from Scott to all around them. His eyes landed on Lydia was was leaned against the bar with a guy and a girl obviously flirting with her. He scanned the crowd once again and eventually found him. Stiles had his head thrown back as he swayed carelessly with everyone else in the club. Derek was used to the sight of a grinding and sexual Stiles when he let loose on the dance floor. He had spent many of nights staring longingly at him, so this part didn’t faze him. What did catch his attention though was how angrily Stiles was moving. His hips moving harshly with the beat as a stoney glare landed on anyone who got a little too handsy.

 

Excusing himself from the group Derek found himself walking towards him. Stiles seemed to notice his presence when he was only a few feet away. Turning around to face him, Stiles stopped moving as he folded his arms across his chest. They had a silent stand off while the music pumped through the speakers and into every corner of the club. As the awkwardness built, Derek broke.

 

“I’m sorry,” Derek said loud enough for Stiles to hear.

 

“Lydia said I shouldn’t talk to you unless you’re on your knees begging for my forgiveness,” Stiles didn’t bother raising his voice, already knowing that Derek would be able to hear him.  

 

Derek felt a whimper build in his chest. Stiles was angry and hurt, Derek could practically _feel_ it radiating off of his scent. Taking a deep breath he began to lower himself on his knees, but was pulled back upright by a wide eyed Stiles.

 

“God dammit, Derek,” Stiles hissed as he began to pull them out of the crowd and to a more private area.

 

Stiles found a corner in the room that was far away enough from their supernatural friend, so that they wouldn’t hear him. There weren't any other people occupying the area either only causing Derek’s nerves to grow. Stiles faces him with his best ‘bitch face’ causing Derek to squirm a bit. Whnr igt was obvious that Stiles wasn’t going to start the conversation like he normally did, Derek did his best to make sense of his emotions.

 

“I thought it was just the pollen! I didn’t— I didn’t think you consented and I freaked out and I just...i’m sorry Stiles. From the moment I woke up, I just—it was a lot to process that I had just had sex with one of my best friends and the fact that it happened because of forced magic was just beyond me and—” Derek took a deep breath as he took a few slow steps away from Stiles and then back towards him.

 

“And then I thought about you having to...choose between packs and I didn’t want to force anything else onto you. I wasn’t...I’m not ready to—”

 

Before he could finish word vomiting all over the room, Stiles cautiously stepped forward into Derek’s space and narrowed his eyes at him. “Derek Hale, have you been blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault, again?”

 

Derek held his breath and only relaxed when the corner of Stiles’ mouth twitched up in a teasing smile. Joking. A joking and smiling Stiles was something he could handle. Derek was about to apologize once again but was caught off guard when Stiles hesitantly leaned in and kissed his cheek.

 

“You said you weren’t ready…” Stiles starts slowly as he watched Derek’s reactions, “and I think I understand why. “

 

Derek gulped as his own hands betrayed him and slowly rested themselves on Stiles’ hips. “You do?”

 

“Mmm,” Stiles said sliding his hands up Derek’s chest and resting them on his shoulders. “I did some research on the type of pollen the queen gave us, it’s called monktusdill. In Latin it’s called _vere libido_ which is roughly translated to true lust. It’s meant for alphas to find their most compatible baby maker so they can build their pack, hence the queen’s note.”

 

Derek felt himself frowning, wondering where Stiles was going with this. It wasn’t exactly he thought the conversation would shape itself.

 

“Your wolf likes...well this body, dude. You’ve probably been holding back because we're friends and that would be totally weird right? Then there’s the fact that you’re probably not ready to be in a relationship, given that you reject every offer that comes to you.” Stiles continued with a self satisfied smile as if he cracked the code, “and a relationship with me is probably not something you want, cause you know, best friends and all. Which brings me to my offer.”

 

“Your offer?” Derek repeated.

 

“You don’t have to be! In a relationship, that is. We could fuck, but as friends. Friends with benefits! That way your wolf stays happy and well...we both aren't so lonely or whatever,” Stiles said while blushing a bit, “Because, I’d be lying if I said the parts that I remember of that night were anything less than amazing. And _wow,_ I wouldn't be saying half of this if it weren't for the liquid courage.”

 

Derek stood baffled for a few seconds before composing himself. He wanted to correct Stiles so badly. Tell him that he wanted the exact opposite of what Stiles was propositioning. But as he stared at Stiles’ nervous smile as the mage anxiously bit his lower lip, looking at Derek with hope in his eyes, Derek couldn’t do anything but force a smile.

 

“Y-you really want to?” Derek asked.

 

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure. You know that, Sourwolf.”

 

Derek felt all his resolve crumble as Stiles smiled blindingly at him. He couldn't find it in himself to do anything that could possibly make that look of fondness and want fall away. That's when the thought hit him. It was better to have at least a little bit of Stiles than none at all.

 

+

 

After his very… eventful weekend, Derek and Stiles found themselves falling back into their same routines. They hadn't had sex again, and Derek kind of thought it might be a good thing. Mainly, because he was half hoping that Stiles would come to his senses and realize that he wanted _way_ more than to be just fuck buddies.

 

On Monday they went shopping for Stiles’ magical herbs in the saddest parts of town — _Derek still didn’t approve of Stiles doing any of his shopping by himself, Dragon familiar or not_. The next day, Stiles had come to the pack house to finish putting up the wards along the Hale border, and ended up staying a bit longer for dinner.

 

The rest of the family was delighted to see them, and while Derek was pulled away to discuss pack politics, Stiles entertained the little ones with some magic tricks.

 

“Looks like you’ve worked it out,” Laura said when the meeting was over.

 

Her arms were crossed as she eyed her brother calculatively. They were both taking their time heading back to the rest of the pack, so they were pretty much the only ones currently in the hallway closest to the den.  

 

“You’re doing that thing where you fish for information,” Derek said with his hands in his pockets and a soft smile as he fished through all the noise in the house to find Stiles’ heartbeat.

 

“Oh, so you can use my wisdom, but when what I say works you won't share the tea? How rude Derbear!” her hands fly to her chest as she gasped dramatically

 

Giving her a flat look, Derek huffed as he rolled his eyes, “Don’t call me that.”

 

They both stepped into the kitchen and were immediately surrounded by their adorable younger cousins. Derek was thankful that their attention was trained mostly on their _‘cool older cousin Laura_ ’ which gave him a chance to slip away and find Stiles. He listened out for his heartbeat again, and a fond smile spread across his face when he heard the soft fluttering sound sneaking up from behind him.

 

Waiting patiently, Derek pretended to be interested in a book that no doubt belonged to Peter. He even hummed a bit, just before two arms wrapped around his shoulders accompanied by a warm and happy smelling Stiles latching onto his back

 

“You heard me coming,” Stiles whined as Derek turned to face him, playfully slapping his chest and pulled away with a pout. “One of these days I’m going to catch you off guard.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure you will.”

 

Derek let out a low raspy, chuckle, and with amused eyes, he watched as the mage looked around them with a mischievous smirk on his face. Derek was seconds away from questioning what was going on when he felt Stiles’ magic wrap around them before they were transported and standing somewhere in the meadow just outside the border.

 

“Help me pick some bay laurel? It costs a fortune on the market, much cheaper this way.” Stiles pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Derek’s mouth with a smirk as he walked backwards in slow, coy steps.

 

Derek watched as the idiot turned away and went to look for whatever it is he was looking for. From the distance, Stiles shouted a description of what they were looking for, and afterwards continued talking about random things that happened with Scott and the other pack members. Derek listened intently as he sneakily stole glances of Stiles’ beautiful, content smile. Time seemed to fly, and when they were done Stiles had them dump all of the Bay Laurel into a pouch he pulled out from his pocket.

 

“Now that that's done,” Stiles slid his hands up Derek’s chest to his face, running his fingers along the scruff of his beard. “You wanna…”

 

Derek should’ve confessed his real feelings.

 

Derek should’ve stopped it there.

 

Derek should’ve said something.

 

He didn’t.

 

Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles’ slim waist and pulled him in till their noses brushed. Tilting his head and leaning in slowly, he felt himself get nervous at the idea that he was finally getting to kissi —he’d decided not to count the one they shared ‘cause of the sex pollen as their first since he couldn’t remember it all that well— the man that he loved. Derek’s face felt hot and he was sure he was blushing, but couldn’t find it in himself to care once their lips softly melted against one another’s.

 

Stiles smiled into the ever so gentle kiss and cupped the sides of Derek’s face as they experimented with the kiss. With every tilt of the head and hitch of breath, Derek found himself being even more entranced by Stiles. He chased after every soft sigh, moan, and whimper, wanting to savour each sound just incase this all turned out to be a cruel dream.

 

Trailing his hands from Stiles’ waist to grab at the back of his thighs instead, Derek swept him off of his feet. Stiles moaned giddily as he wrapped his arms and legs around him, and Derek only had a few seconds to grasp what was happening, before they were teleporting again. Knowing where they were just by that intoxicating scent, Derek let out a low rumbling sound as he pressed Stiles against a wall.

 

“S-sorry for the mess,” Stiles breathed out when they stopped kissing for some much needed air, “I was practicing some spells, and it may have caused a small explosion.”

 

“May have?” Derek raised an eyebrow as he smelt burned basil clouding the room.

 

“Just a _tiny_ bit,” Stiles smirked as he trailed his fingers over Derek’s chest.

 

“You’re ridiculous.”

 

“Mmhmm,” Stiles leaned forward and captured his lips in yet another world changing kiss. The mage squirmed a bit as he unhooked his legs from around Derek’s waist and stood on his feet again. “Bed?”

 

“Yeah,” Derek breathed out as his eyes flashed red.

 

——

 

Derek had ended up staying the night. When he woke up at 8:45, he wasn’t at all surprised that Stiles was still very much asleep. In the least creepy way possible, Derek watched as Stiles snuggled further into the covers at the sudden absence of Derek’s body heat. _You’re being pathetic_ , he thought to himself before forcing himself to get out of the bed. He needed to call his sister and let her know that he was not dead or anything. All throughout his amazing night with Stiles, he could hear his phone vibrating from where it had tumbled to the floor.

 

He gets out of the warm inviting bed, and pulled on his pants. Reaching under the nightstand to grab his phone to check his messages.

 

_1/10 From Laura, 9:08 — Where are u? Mom is making me take care of your alpha responsibilities because ur MIA._

 

_1/10 From Laura, 10:20 — You’re with Stiles, aren’t you????_

 

_1/10 From Laura, 10:25 — OH MY GOD!! ARE YOU GUYS SCREWING?! SERIOUSLY?!?!_

 

2 missed calls

 

1 voice mail

 

“You’re not leaving me again? Right?” Came Stiles’ groggy voice as he rolled over onto his back. “That wouldn’t be cool, dude.”

 

Derek startled and turned to Stiles with widened eyes. “Oh, uhm, I’ve got plans with Laura. We’re, uh, having lunch and she’d kill me if I bailed,” and just to make it seem less awkward, he bent down to give Stiles a hasty kiss.  

 

Stiles looked at him amusedly, his expression going from wary to surprised, before nodding. “Oh, okay dude. Have fun?”

 

“Yeah, i’ll see you later,” Derek said, pulling his shirt and jacket on as he practically ran out of Stiles’ apartment.  

As he exited the building, he sent Laura an SOS and then the address to the place nearest him on the GPS, which happened to be a restaurant. It was a tiny bistro that smelt of wine and fresh bread. Derek got a table for two and sat down on the chair immediately, silently panicking until Laura arrived.

 

Laura slid into the seat across him, her gaze calculating, as her eyes flickered from Derek’s fidgeting to his disheveled hair. “I was right. And you look shitty.”

 

“Laura,” he grunted, gripping the edge of the table, and sighed before looking up at her. “I don’t know how to talk about this.”

 

“How about start off by using words? I hear those usually do the trick.” She looked at him, obviously studying him. “Maybe start off from the part where you and Stiles are finally _dating_!”

 

Derek let out a pained sigh and dropped his head on the table, “But we’re not and that’s the problem!”

 

Laura looked undoubtedly confused for all but a split second before she was gasping, “no…”

 

Derek groaned and banged his forehead against the table twice before sitting back up. “I don’t know what to _do_ ! I told myself that I could do it. That I could take what i’m given and that would be enough. But after...after having sex and falling asleep then waking up together it just felt so...so _domestic_ . And I freaked out because it felt so _real_!”

 

“God dammit Der... you can’t just sacrifice your happiness like that,” she scolded as her hand reached out to lay on top of Derek’s. “You might have thought it was some bullshit reverse compromise on your end, but regardless, it isn’t healthy for you to be doing this.”  

 

Derek could feel his insides shriveling up at the thought of breaking things off with Stiles. “H-he thinks its my wolf just lusting after him because of that stupid sex pollen. He thinks that I don’t even want to be with him otherwise.”

 

“Well, did you try telling him the truth?”

 

“No…”

 

Laura gave him a look that Derek decoded as ‘you are the stupidest person I’ve ever met in my life’. Narrowing his eyes at her, he rubbed his hands over his weary face, “You don’t understand Laur. This might be the only chance I’ll get to have Stiles the way that I want him.”

 

“Except this isn’t the way you want him, Der.” Laura snipped, “Having feelings for your fuck buddy who seems to want to be just that, _fuckbuddies,_ is problematic. It’s only going to lead to you being hurt. And knowing you, you’d stay, because you love him too much to give him up.”

 

Derek stayed silent as he stared at the menu.

 

“I think you need to stop things before they go too far,” Laura said after a minute. “I love Stiles, hell our whole family does, but he’s not worth giving up your own happiness-heck, no one is. I just… Der, breaking it off would be best for the both of you. Just think about it with a clear head, yeah?”

 

Derek sighed and looked away, avoiding Laura’s sympathetic gaze. He didn’t want her sympathy. He wanted Stiles.

 

+

 

The next couple of days passed by in a blur. Derek had completely buried himself in his alpha responsibilities, which he probably should have done a while ago, considering how much paperwork still needed to be done. A few packs had invited him and his second —who Derek still hadn’t decided which pack member he would choose as yet— to have dinner so that the packs could get more familiar with one another and strengthen their alliance. It sounded like an easy work, to just simply reply, but for each request there had to be documents signed and elegant, well written formal emails had to be sent to each alpha to show his respect. It was draining. No wonder he’d been putting it off for so long.

 

By the time he’d finished filling all of the paperwork and sending an email to each of the twelve alphas, it was already Saturday evening. He had locked himself in the den all week and had refused to come out. The only people he had allowed in were his parents, Laura, and occasionally uncle Peter when he needed insight on the other packs. Apparently his uncle got around in his younger days, so he knew quite the number of werewolves from those packs on a _personal_ level. Derek refused to see the double meaning behind those words.

 

Throughout the time he spent cooped up in the den, with the pretence of working, Laura had been keeping tabs on him. Making sure he was eating and actually going to sleep when he said he was. She was worried, and being the only person who actually knew what was going on, it only made her overwhelmingly protective tendencies ten times worse.

 

“Derek,” Laura said as she walked into the den.

 

“Do I have more paperwork? I’ll get right on it in a—”

 

“Just stop it with the paperwork already!” Laura slammed her hand on the table. “When I said screwing around with Stiles wasn’t healthy, I didn’t mean for you to pick up another unhealthy habit and kill yourself with work.”

 

Derek surprised both of them when he roared at her while jumping to his feet. “Well what do you expect me to do?! You told me it wasn’t healthy to be with the person that could be my mate, and you think I’ll just be _fine_ with it?”  

 

“I understand it’s hard but— wait, _what_?”

 

Derek felt angry tears threatening to burst like a dam as he watched Laura’s anger fade. He took a deep breath and stared at Laura with wounded eyes— who looked on the verge of hunting Stiles down and making these idiots settle their shit already. Derek sat back down in his chair, and Laura sat on the couch in front of the desk.

 

“You didn’t say he was your mate,” she started gently. Her usually stoic, coolheaded brother looked tired, and just... _broken_.

 

“Does it matter? I can’t tell him anyways.”

 

Derek had decided not to break down. He wouldn't. He refused to.

 

“If he’s your mate, you should fight for that oblivious idiot Derek! Or _I don’t know_ , at least tell him how you really feel if you’re sure about this. Mates just don't come waltzing into our lives,” Laura looked close to screaming as she scrutinized the dark circles underneath Derek’s eyes.

 

“I can’t do that Laura.”

 

Laura glared and leaned forward with a determined glint in her eyes, “Alright then. Have it your way. But just know this, if you don’t tell him and fix this shit, I will.”

 

Laura stared Derek down. But when he closed his eyes and let out a pitiful, shuddering exhale, her gaze softened. Derek breathed in deep, gathering his thoughts, weighing the situation he’d put himself in.

 

“If he’s your mate Der, don’t let him slip away… Let go of your inhibitions.”

At that, Derek moved so fast that before he could even comprehend it himself, he was shifting and running out the house on all fours before anyone could stop him. He could hear Laura saying something to Boyd, and then Boyd answering, but he didn’t stop running until he was deep inside the woods. Far away from everyone.

 

He was _not_ losing Stiles.

 

And he sure as hell was _not_ going to trap Stiles in a relationship just because his wolf wanted to claim him.  

 

As much as he wanted to, Derek wouldn’t allow himself to say how much he loved Stiles, that he was his mate, and that them being together was fate, was destiny waiting to take its course. Stiles had choices to make of his own. Important decisions to make and he sure as hell didn’t need the weight of Derek’s feelings holding him back from making those choices. In Scott’s pack, Stiles had his best friend, nearly all of his closest friends, and most importantly his father. Despite how selfish Derek wanted to be, he wasn’t going to take that away from him.

 

He heard leaves and twigs crunching behind, and glanced back to see Boyd trudging towards him, carrying a bundle of clothing.

 

“Are you going feral?” he asked.

 

Derek gave him the best unimpressed look he could manage in his current state. Baring his teeth as a warning at his beta, Derek yipped indignantly as Boyd chucked the shirt and sweatpants at his face.

 

“Stop being an ass and change,” Boyd looked tired, and for lack of better words, a bit disgruntled that he had to be the one to deal with his best bro’s temper tantrum.

 

Derek glared; Boyd didn’t budge.

 

Huffing, Derek walked behind a tree with the clothes in his mouth and shifted back. Throwing on the clothes he stomped back out to face Boyd. Boyd had his arms crossed and was looking at Derek with all types of unimpressed disappointment.

 

“So… you...wanna talk about it? I haven’t seen you act so...wrecked before.” Boyd started, in his usual mellowed out tone.

 

Derek sighed, “Laura told you?”

 

Instead of answering Boyd walked over to a tree and sat down leaning back against the trunk. He looked up at Derek and patted the space beside him. Derek sighed once again, but ended up sitting next to him nonetheless.

 

“Why’d you agree to it?”

 

Derek sat up a bit straighter and focused his attention on the life  around them, around the forest that was home to many. “It was the only way I could have him in a way that was more than as just a friend.” From the corner of his eyes he could see Boyd’s face twitch, his nose scrunching up for a second. It was an expression that was a mix between confusion and disbelief.

 

Boyd fell silent and Derek followed suit. This was why Derek considered Boyd his closest friend. Boyd understood when he wanted to talk and when talking was just too much. They could have multiple conversations without saying a single word, and it was such a rejuvenating feeling. If Derek thought hard about it. He might even consider making Boyd his second one of these days.

 

“I think you need to talk to him,” Boyd said. “Stiles is the type that needs information to function. The more he knows, the better the chances of him being able to make the best decision for himself and everyone around him.”

 

“... Do you think… I have a chance?” Derek asked, trying not to sound too self-doubting.

 

“Yeah,” Boyd said easily.

 

“Why?”

 

Nudging his shoulder against Derek’s, Boyd let out a soft snort at his alpha. “I don’t know man,” he said with a shrug. “You and Stiles just… work. You understand each other in a way that no one else can. You’re kind of perfect for each other.”

 

“But he has Scott’s pack and—”      

 

“Fuck Scott’s pack,” Boyd said, earning a surprised look from Derek. “This is your life too Derek. Are you really okay with just letting Stiles go without even trying? Are you okay with being friends forever? What’s going to happen when he gets into a relationship with someone else? Are you prepared to watch someone else make him happy when you didn’t even give him the option of having that with you?”

 

Derek felt his wolf whine at the mere thought of Stiles with someone else, and he couldn’t say that he himself had any different feeling towards it either. Frowning at nothing, Derek slowly stood to his feet. “Thanks, Boyd.”

 

Boyd sighed, “Don’t mention it.” He was best friends with an idiot.  
 

——

 

Even after his talk with Boyd, it still took Derek a couple weeks before he finally mustered up the courage to see Stiles again. And if he was being honest with himself, it was actually more work to avoid Stiles than it would’ve been to just simply talk to him. Derek should have expected as much now that he had a chance to think about it.

 

As usual, Stiles was nothing but persistent when it came to figuring something out. In the three weeks that Derek had dodged him, Stiles had called 53 times and left 13 voicemails. Stiles had also come by the house a couple of times, and each time Derek had had to sneak out the back before any of his sisters trapped him in a room with Stiles. And while all of that was happening, Derek had, shamefully so, asked Boyd to keep tabs on Stiles for him. He wanted to know how Stiles was handling the rookie. He wanted to make sure Stiles hadn’t hurt himself with his magic. In short, he just needed to know that Stiles wasn’t hurt, especially because of him.

 

After a routine border patrol, Derek found himself driving towards Stiles’ apartment. When he got there, he was nervous and probably the most scared he’d ever been in his life. The only thoughts in his head were centered around the idea of him losing Stiles forever.

 

Stepping up to his door, Derek sighed as he raised his hand to knock on the door. His shaking hand was just about to make contact with the door when he detected two heartbeats in the room. Frozen in place, Derek let out a shaky breath as he pressed his ear against the door to hear better.

 

“You’re the one that started this conversation. I’d much rather talk about anything but your sex life, son.” Stiles’ dad said, sounding all types of uncomfortable. Derek heard the distinct sound of a fork scraping against a plate as he continued to listen.

 

“I know,” Stiles sighed, Derek could hear him pacing. “But it’s just weird right?! He...we had a thing dad! Yeah, it only lasted a few days, but it was still a thing nonetheless! And now he’s suddenly dodging my calls and running away from me. It’s not how Derek works, hell, it’s not how _we_ work!”

 

“Well did Derek actually want to have _this_ type of relationship with you?” John asked with a sigh.

 

“What are you—”

 

John huffed and Derek could hear a fork being put down, “Stiles, did you ever actually have a conversation where Derek said ‘I only want to have casual sex with you’?”

 

“It was _implied_!” Stiles exclaimed petulantly.

 

“How?”

 

“It— it just was, dad! Why are you defending him all of a sudden? You’re supposed to be on my side,” Stiles whined.

 

Derek felt his heart stop as he rested his forehead against the door, waiting anxiously for what the sheriff would say next. He heard a chair moving before someone sits down in it.

 

“Son, listen,” John started. “As a man who was married at one point in his life, I know a lot about love.” There’s a soft intake of breath but John powered through it, “I know what it looks like when someone looks at the love of their life, like they’ve single handedly hung the moon in the sky. I saw it everyday when your mother looked at me, and you can be damned sure she saw it when I looked at her.”

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Stiles was on the edge of his seat, waiting for his dad to get to his point. Although, he had an inkling as to where this conversation was headed.

 

“I’m telling you this because I see that same expression when you and Derek look at one another.” Stiles’ dad said these words slowly, as if he was making sure Stiles would hear him, or more so understand him correctly.

 

Stiles groaned, “I think you’re seeing things old man. Things that obviously aren’t there. Derek doesn’t feel that way about me.”

 

“But you feel that way about him?”

 

Derek held his breath as all his focus zoned in on Stiles’ heartbeat. The usual rapid fluttering had sped up, the sound of Stiles’ heart beating even faster, as a faint smell of affection and embarrassment made its way past the closed door and tickled Derek’s nose.

 

“Yeah… yeah I do…” Derek froze still, unsure if he’d heard right or it was just his wishful thinking, lovesick heart and mind playing tricks on him.

 

“But that doesn’t change anything” Stiles started again after a few beats of silence, “Derek is the alpha of the Hale pack. Even if he did miraculously have feelings towards me other than friendly, he still has to put his pack first. He can’t do that if he’s with me since I’ve already decided to join Scott’s pack,” Stiles sounded exasperated, like he’d had this same conversation before.

 

“Why not?” John asked sounding confused, and probably not buying that excuse one bit.

 

“Because of pack dynamics. If there was a threat to Scott’s pack that had nothing to do with the Hales, do you really think Derek wouldn’t help us if he and I were dating?”

 

“Do you really think he wouldn’t help regardless?”

 

Both the men fell silent after that. The room reeked of indecision and worry, even past the closed door, and it was causing goosebumps to form on Derek’s arms. Stiles was wrong. He was so wrong, and Derek just wanted to go in there and yell at him, or honestly, do whatever it took, until he understood.  

 

“Have you ever thought about joining his pack?”

 

Derek and Stiles both gasped at John’s forwardness, and Derek half-panicked, wondering if he’d blown his cover. But when John and Stiles just carried on with their conversation, he believed he was still in the clear.

 

“I mean… yeah, but I never asked him about it. Usually Derek’s very open and vocal,” the sheriff must’ve given him a look of disbelief because Stiles laughed the fondest of sounds. “Well at least when it comes to pack stuff he is. Like with Boyd and Erica. When he wanted them to join the pack, he asked them the next day and worked hard to gain their trust. He’s never asked me.”

 

“Well maybe you should ask him.”

 

There’s another brief moment of silence before Stiles’ heartbeat skyrocketed. Derek worried for all but two seconds before the door was being yanked open and he was stumbling forward, almost crashing into a wide eyed and flustered Stiles.

 

“You… you _asshole_!” Stiles cried hysterically.

 

“Welp, that’s my cue to leave,” the sheriff said, standing from his chair causing Heldrif to fall from his lap and fly off to his nest. John slipped his jacket on and walked through the door past the both of them. “Oh, and Derek. The next time you eavesdrop on someone, make sure your car isn’t parked in front of their window, jeez.”  

 

When the door shut behind him, causing Derek to take a few steps forward, he found himself deflating a bit at the anger in Stiles’ eyes. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth to speak but before a word could get out, Stiles was walking away from him.

 

“What the fuck, Derek?!”

 

“I’m sorry for listening in on your conversation,” Derek mumbled, eyes glued to the floor.

 

“The conver— you absolute _bonehead_! I’m not pissed because you heard everything. I’m pissed ‘cause you’ve been ignoring me for nearly three weeks. And then the time that I actually see you, you’re creeping in on me and my dad having a heart-to-heart!”

 

“I wanted to talk to you, trust me... I just couldn’t at the time.”

 

“Trust you? Derek, I trust you with my fucking life! There’s nobody in the world that I trust more than you. Well, I  mean aside from my dad and Scott ‘cause they’re- _okay that’s beside the point._ The point is, you’re my best friend... and up until now i've done nothing but support and trust you with everything i’ve got. But now…”

 

“Stiles…”

 

“You hurt me, Derek. For three goddamn weeks, you’ve ignored me and I’m sick of it! The one person who I thought would never hurt me ever, ended up breaking my stupid heart! You think I wanted to be in love with your grumpy ass? I’ve tried so hard not to, to keep our friendship going at the pace it was and it all got ruined by some monktusdill!” Stiles panted, out of breath.

 

“...You love me?” Derek asked in disbelief, even though he’d practically heard the same confession just minutes ago.

 

Stiles was thrown by the sudden question. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before glaring at Derek. Stiles was pissed. “If you’re just going to make fun of me, you can leave. I don’t need your pity or your bullshit, Derek.”

 

“No, no, no!” Derek rushed as he strode forward into Stiles’ space, “Stiles… I love you too, have loved you for three years, maybe even longer. I’m in love with you. I-I didn’t….. Stiles you’re my best friend and I just didn’t want to ruin things by—”

 

Derek didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Stiles was kissing him in an instant. Derek tensed, shock-still, for all of a second before he gathered his bearings and all but melted into the feeling of Stiles molded against him and hummed in approval, returning the kiss with desperate urgency. Stiles’ hands slid up to rest at the sides of Derek’s neck, his thumbs stroking along his jawline with a tenderness that was in stark contrast to the intensity of their kiss. Shuddering as the feeling of being whole-as if finding the last piece of a puzzle, rushed through his being, Derek sighed happily into the kiss.

 

However, all too soon, Stiles was pulling away from the kiss, breathing in deep, and resting his forehead against Derek’s. He looked at peace, eyes closed and a fond, content smile on his lips.

 

“You wanna be more than fuckbuddies?” Stiles whispered, but Derek could hear the uncertainty and doubt in his voice.

 

“Yeah.... more than anything”

 

“You love me?”

 

Derek sighed as he let his eyes close as he focused on the fast flutter of Stiles’ heartbeat, “With all I am.”

 

“Good, ‘cause so do I.” And he beamed with the most gorgeous smile Derek had ever seen.

 

“But we’re going to have a long conversation about how you are to use your _words_ , Hale. All this mushy, romantic stuff would have been happening a long time ago you know. Do you have anything else you need to tell me?”

 

Deciding to bite the bullet, Derek Stiles’ gaze with a determined look on his face.

 

“There is actually...My wolf recognizes you as my mate Stiles.” Stiles let out a tiny, surprised gasp, eyes widening a fraction, but he powered through.

 

”I wanted to tell you this long ago, I know I should’ve, but I didn’t want to pressure you into choosing sides. I wanted you to decide which pack you wanted to be a part of all on your own.” Derek sighed, a sad smile pulling on his face. “But that doesn’t mean I hadn’t wished you would ask to join mine.”

 

“You… you asshole,” Stiles said again, but this time much softer as a smile curled on his lips. Flinging himself at Derek, Stiles wrapped him up in the warmest of hugs as he peppered his face with loving kisses. Derek buried his face in Stiles’ neck, inhaling the wonderful, comforting scent of his mate, _his mate,_ and pressed a soft kiss on the pale, blueberry-sweet skin.

 

“Stay,” Stiles whispered and leaned in to kiss him one more time, as if he couldn’t get enough of it. “Spend the night with me...but this time, as my mate...with all the feelings involved. Show me how much you love me all night Der....”

 

Derek smiled, content and complete, as warmth bloomed in his chest. He felt high on happiness and affection, because _Stiles loves him_ , and there was nothing more he wanted in that moment than to show him just how much he loved him too.   

 

“Yeah...” he said, pressing a sweet kiss to the tip of his adorable, upturned. “I’d like that, a lot.”

 

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Playlist in order for [You Don't Have To Be](https://open.spotify.com/user/bextruex2xu/playlist/6rS0z0tOQUOxPiVf0EqaV2)  
> Billie Eilish — ocean eyes  
> Jasmine Thompson — Fidelity  
> H.E.R. — Focus  
> Lorde — Sober  
> Halsey — Bad at Love  
> Dua Lipa — Bad Together  
> Jasmine Thompson — Almost Lover  
> Gnash — i hate u, i love u (feat. Olivia O’Brien)  
> Rihanna — Love on the Brain  
> Marian Hill — Take Your Time  
> Cashmere Cat — Quit (feat. Ariana Grande)  
> Arctic Monkeys — I wanna Be Yours  
> Troye Sivan — FOOLS  
> Billie Eilish — idontwannabeyouanymore  
> Sam Smith — Too Good at Goodbyes  
> Khalid — Location  
> The 1975 — Somebody Else  
> Halsey — Now or Never  
> Jessie Ware — Say You Love Me  
> Sleeping At Last — All Through the Night
> 
> Side Note: please ignore the cringy ass username from my high school days tanx!


End file.
